Security systems have received considerable commercial acceptance for virtually all types of residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Most such security systems are operative to detect an attempted intrusion and to generate a signal that will warn the occupants, summon security personnel and/or deter the intruder.
The security system typically will include intrusion detection means disposed at least at windows and exterior doors. One extremely effective and commercially accepted security system includes at least one and preferably a plurality of series circuits extending from access locations to a control unit. Each such series circuit will define a zone capable of generating a unique signal that can be detected by the control unit. The access points in each zone will be provided with condition responsive switches, reed switches or pressure sensitive switches. The two leads extending from the opposed portions of the switch will be incorporated into the series circuit. Thus, in the closed position of all switches, the series circuit will be completed. However, upon the opening of any switch, the series circuit will be opened. The control unit is operative to sense such an opening and will generate a signal to indicate a breach of the security for the zone in which the opened circuit exists.
The reed switches incorporated into these security systems include the combination of a switch having a magnetically responsive member therein plus a magnetic actuator movably disposed in proximity to the switch. The reed switch and the magnetic actuator are mounted to a door or window such that in the closed condition of the door or window the reed switch and the magnetic actuator are adjacent to one another. In this orientation, the magnet will be operative to keep the magnetically responsive portion of the reed switch in a condition for closing the circuit. However, a movement of the magnetic actuator corresponding to an opening of the window or the door will urge the magnetically responsive member of the reed switch into an open orientation which will be sensed by the control means for generating an appropriate signal.
Pressure sensitive switches employ the same principles as the above described reed switches. However, the typical pressure sensitive switch will include a movable plunger that is biased in a first direction for opening the switch but that is urged into an opposed direction by a movable portion of the door or window for closing the switch. Thus, in the closed condition of a door or window, the switch will be closed and the circuit into which the switch is incorporated will be complete. However, upon opening of the door or window, the plunger of the pressure sensitive switch will be moved in a direction for opening the switch and the associated series circuit. As explained above, the control unit of the security system will sense the open circuit and general an appropriate signal.
Other switches incorporating the same principles of selectively opened or closed circuits may also be incorporated into such a security system, and will be readily apparent to a person having ordinary skill in this art.
Residential property owners and owners of retail stores and other commercial establishments have tempered their desire for security with a desire for aesthetic attractiveness of their building. As a result, visually obtrusive security systems are considered substantially less desirable than security systems that can be substantially hidden from view. As a result, extremely desirable and effective security systems include those that can be completely hidden in the jamb of a door or the sill of a window. The ability to hide the switches of a security system is particularly difficult for security systems that are incorporated into buildings after the construction of the building is complete. Under these circumstances, and in view of the desire to hide the operative components of a security system, most such security systems are installed by drilling holes through a window sill or door jamb to an accessible location in a building, and typically an unfinished cellar or attic. The entry to these drilled holes adjacent the window or door necessarily will be substantially cylindrical. The installer of the security system will then snake a wire through the hole. The ends of the wire will then be stripped and the conductors therein will be manually spliced to conductive leads extending from the reed switch, pressure actuated switch or other such condition responsive switch. The switches will be of generally cylindrical configuration corresponding to the dimensions of the hole drilled in the sill of the window or jamb of the door. The installer will then urge the wire and the leads from the switch back through the hole and slidably insert the generally cylindrical switch into the previously drilled hole. With reed switches, it may then be necessary to mount an appropriate magnetic actuator in opposed relationship to the reed switch. Switches of this type have received substantial commercial acceptance in view of the ability to substantially hide the switch and wiring from view, and in particular the ability to readily mount the generally cylindrical switch in the correspondingly dimensioned cylindrical aperture drilled in proximity to the door or window. Any extremely effective switch of this general type is sold by Sentrol.
Despite the desirability of the above described switches and security systems, the installation of such systems is considered to be undesirably labor intensive. For example, the stripping of insulation from the wires and the splicing of wire leads adds significantly to the installation time of such systems and therefore increases the costs of such systems. Additionally, the spliced connections of the wire leads from the switch to the system wire often is fairly large as compared to the cross-sectional dimension of the hole drilled in the window sill or door jamb and relative to the switch slidably inserted therein. As a result, the spliced connections must be forcibly urged through the drilled holes. This forced movement of the splice connection into the relatively small drilled hole can at least partly disconnect the spliced connection. Thus, it may be necessary for the installer to repeat the labor intensive task of snaking the wire back through the walls of an existing building. Alternatively, the partially disconnected splice can generate periodic false alarms after the system has been completely installed.
The prior art includes electrical connectors for security systems that are intended to minimize labor intensive in-field splicing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,113 issued to Eckhaus on Sept. 22, 1987 and shows electrical connectors for security systems which includes splicing means incorporated therein. However, the connectors disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,113 are generally for visually obtrusive systems that are being commercially disfavored. In particular, the connectors shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,113 require plural complex moving parts that are large and externally located relative to a door or window. The teaching of U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,113 is not helpful for the smaller visually unobtrusive systems that desirably are mounted in small cylindrical apertures hidden in the sill of a window or jamb of a door.
The prior art includes many other splice blocks having either a plurality of separate members that are movably disposed relative to one another to enable termination of conductive leads to terminals mounted in the splice block. The movable components of such splice blocks may be entirely separable structures or may be hingedly connected structures. These prior art splice blocks tend to be too large and unsuited for the particular needs of the security system industry. Furthermore, hinged connections on prior art splice blocks tend to be fairly large, cumbersome and ineffective for security system applications. Examples of such prior art splice blocks are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,316 which issued to Debaigt on Aug. 18, 1981, U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,366 which issued to McCaffery on June 7, 1988 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,778 which issued to Sampson on Apr. 10, 1984.
In view of the above, it is an object of the subject invention to provide an efficient splice block for security system applications.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a combination cylindrical condition responsive switch and splice block.
It is an additional object of the subject invention to provide a generally cylindrical splice block that can be securely connectable to a generally cylindrical condition responsive sWitch.
A further object of the subject invention is to provide a unitarily molded splice block that can be slidably inserted into a drilled aperture.
Yet another object of the subject invention is to provide a generally cylindrical splice block having hingedly connected movable components wherein the hinge does not interfere with the insertion of the splice block into a drilled aperture.